The Station Agent's Desk

In a railroad town, the station agent was the company's face and voice. From a desk like this one he sold tickets, weighed and billed freight, answered the telegraph, and copied down the train orders that told crews where to meet and pass.

The telegraph key was the internet of its day — a click-clack of dots and dashes that carried dispatches up and down the line at the speed of electricity. A good agent could hold a conversation by ear while writing it down word for word.

The desk, instruments and paperwork gathered here recreate a working depot office, the place where the timetable met the town.